Treatment of bright-surfaced materials



Sept. 9 1924.

H. BLOUNT ET AL TREATMENT. OF BRIGHT SURFACQED MATERIALS Filed Sent. 24 2 Shams-Sheet l Im/en Zfarr BiourT HerbeFfM alts 07771 Sept. 9 1924.

H. BLOUNT ET AL TREATMENT OF BRIGHT SURFACED MATERIALS Filed Sent. 24, 192

2 Sheets-Sheet. 2

in AT s RY BLO'UNT, OF OAK PARK, AND HERBERT MOB-BLOCK HALISWORTH, OF- LA amen, ILLINOIS, assrenoas :ro wns'rnan ELECTRIC COMPANY, mcoar oae'rnn, on NEW YORK, N. Y., A ooaronarron or NEW YORK. r

TREATMENT OF BRIGHT-SURFACED MATERIALS.

Application filed September 24, 1921. Serial No. 502,958.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, HARRY BLOUNT and HERBERT MORTLOGK HALLSWORTH, citizens of the United States, residing at Oak Park and a La Grange, respectively, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in the Treatment of Bright-surfaced Materials, of which the following is a full, clear, concise,

l and exact description.

This invention relates to the treatment of bright surfaced materials such as copper wire and the like, and more particularly to a furnace and apparatus for annealing such 2 ing chamber, and 12 the cooling chamber.

35 materials. p

The object of the invention in general is to provide a furnace and associated a paratus by means of which the annealing of bright surfaced materials such as copper at wire and the like, carried on spools, may

be rapidly and efliciently carried on.

One of the features of this invention relates to the means provided for conveniently and rapidly handling the material to as be annealed and consists in the usefof containers for introducing the material .into and conveying it through the various stages of the anneahng operation.

Another feature of this invention relates eoto the means for introducing the containers into the annealing furnace and maintaining a substantially continuous movement thereof through the furnace whereb the annealing operation may be carrie on without interruption. In accordance with this feature of the invention, the containers are introduced into the heating chamber of the furnace bymeans of'recipirocally operating charging apparatus, whic successively, engages the containers to introduce them into the furnace and assist in their movement therethrough.

Another feature of this invention relates to the means for cooling the material after it has been raised to an annealing temperature and before it is exposed to an oxidizing atmos here. The cooling of the material is broug t about by the use of a chamber which is cooled by a uniform sheet of cold water flowing over the top andsides constantly of the chamber.

In the drawings:

Figl is a V e in side elevati n, of an annealing furnace made in accordance with this invention, with the heating and cooling chambers partly broken away;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary side view partly in section of the loading end thereof;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view-of the cooling chamber;

Fig. 4 is a cross-section on-the line 44 of Fig. 1, showing the path of the cooling water, and- Fig. 5 is a fragmentary cross section on the line 55 of Fig. 1.

As shown in the drawings, designates the charging end of the furnace, 11 theheat- The charging end, asclearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2, consists of a receiving chamber 15 equipped with a downwardly inclined roller runway 16, down which the cases 1717 containing the material to be annealed are fed by gravity from the platform 18. The chamber 15 is water sealed from the ingress of air, as indicated by the dotted line '19. At the bottom of the roller runway 16 is an elevator upon which one case 17 at a time rolls from the runway 16. The elevator 20 is elevated and lowered by a suitable hydraulic apparatus 21, and in moving up carries the case 17 up to the level of the entrance to'the heating chamber 11 which is indicated by the dotted outline of the case 17 at the center of the heating chamber. Positioned below the elevator 20 is a suitably pivoted latch 24 with its free end 25 held in contact with the bottom of the elevator 20 by a suitably mounted spring 26. Intermediate the free end and the pivoted point of the latch and secured'thereto is an upwardly projecting lug 27. When the elevator ascends with the case 17 the latch 24 turns about its pivot under the action of the sprm 26 with the lug 27 coming into contact wit the forward lower edge of the next case on the runway and holds the train of cases from moving down. This'position of the latch is clearly shown in dotted'outline on Fig. 2. The case 17 which is in line with the entrance to the heating chamber is pushed from the elevator at a suitable speed by a suitably controlled hydraulic ram 28 and into the heating chamber, and u on the return of the ram 28' the elevator ';is lowered. .As the e e at r mover down, it comes mte ea not - space further in its course through the furnace with each successive case charged into the heatmg chamber progressively moving the trainof cases through the furnace until they finally emerge from the cooling chamber 12.- 15

The heating chamber 11 comprises a suitable inner chamber 30 with a track 31 formed therein forguiding the cases 17-17 therethrou. h. Surrounding the chamber 30 and therefrom is a wall 32 of fire clay; which wall is also surrounded bv a wall 33 of heat resistng material, such as that known in the trade as Sil-O-Ceh Positioned between chambers 30 and 32 are a plurality of gas burners 345-34 by means of which the interior of the inner chamber 30 may be raised to atemperature suificient to anneal the material passing through it.

At the outlet end of the heating chamber 11 is a steam inlet 35 for removing the moisture from the material in the cases which 4 they contain after leaving the water seal at the receiving chamber.

- downward toward their outlet ends at such quire n anle as. to serve to reduce the power rew by. the ram 28 to push the cases 17-17 therethrough. The sloping of the cooling chamber also serves to form a steam pocket in the coolinchamber, the steam for which is supplied y the inlet 35. This steam pocket serves to exclude air from engearing at the outlet end of the cooling chamer,

thereby preventing the discoloring of the material within the cases -1717 by reason of the fact that the material is absolutely prevented from contact with the atmosphere until it has been cooled below a temperature at which it would ordinarily oxidize or discolor.

' The cooling chamber 12 consists of a tube 36 of a suficient length equipped with a suitable flange 37 at its inlet end which is sealed to the flanged end of the inner cham-' ber 30 of the heating chamber 11. A- suitable roller track 38 is laid on the floor of the tube 36, upon which the cases 17-17 move.

The roof 46 of the tube '36 along its entire length has a slight crown to it and also pro ects a slight distance outward from side walls 41 thereof. Upon the roof 40 and alon its side edges are upturned flanges 42 who serve to keep the cooling water con- .stantly uon the crowned roof 40 at a certain dep H Suitably positioned immediately below the projecting edges of the roof 40 and at an angle to the side walls $1 with their lower ends spaced a slight distance therefrom are deflector plates 43 which serve to deflect the constant overflow of water from the roof to the side walls in the form of a thin sheet which 5 rapidly absorbs the heat therein. The deflector plates are secured to support ing castings 44 suitably spaced along the length ofthe cooling chamber. Secured to the lower surface of the supports 4H4 is a pan or trough46 which extends the full length of the cooling chamber and serves to draw off the water falling from the sides of the cooling chamber. Standards 47-47 are positioned below each support alt-4t ,with the pan 46 in between. As clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 4, the roof of the cooling chamber is divided into a-plurality of sections by the laterally extendingbaffle members 4:848 and positioned above the highest point of each section is a water header 50, which is suitably connected to a main water supply line 51. The dividing of the roof 40 into sections with a water supply to each section insures asubstantially uniform quantity of water flowing over the entire roof and sides of the cooling chamber.

In the operation of the annealin furnace of this invention the cases 17-1 which may contain spools of bright copper wire or other material to be annealed, are fed by gravityinto the receiving chamber 15, down the roller runway 16 and into the water seal provided at the receiving chamber. A. case moves onto the elevator'20 and is moved upward by the hydraulic apparatus 21 andv into osition to be charged into the heating cham er 11 by the ram 28. The balance of the cases 1717 on the roller runway are automatically held in position by the latch 24, thereby keeping them from movin down into the position occupied by the e evator and upon the lowering of the elevator the latch is automatically operated to allow another case to move from the runway and onto the elevator. Upon the elevator coming to a stop in line with the heating chamber, the ram 28-is operated to push the case from the elevator and into the heating chamber. By the successive charging of the cases into, the heating chamber, one case in where it absorbs more heat which is again wasted.

The cooling chamber construction and method of cooling it provides for a maximum absorption of the heat liberated from the material passing through it caused by the uniform sheet of water constantly flowing over the roof and sides thereof.

What is claimed is:

1. Annealing -a paratus comprising in heating chamber for feeding said containers into and through the annealing tube.

2. Annealing apparatus comprising tin combination containers for the articles to be annealed, an annealing tube com rising a heating chamber and a cooling 0 amber co-extensive with each other, a water sealed chamber at the inputend of the annealing tube adapted to receive the loaded containers and seal said. end against ingress of air,

-- an intermittently operating liftin and feedall ing mechanism for introducin t e containers from the receivingcham er into and moving them through the annealing tube, a steam seal for preventing the admission of oxidizing atmosphere into the cooling chamber, and means for cooling the cooling chamber.

ing the articles to be annealed to the level of the annealing tube and moving them throu h the tube.

4, nnealing a paratus comprising. in combination conta ners for the articles to be annealed, an annealing tube com rising a heating chamber and a cooling c amber .co-extensive with each other, a receiving chamber located below the inputend of the annealmg tube and filled with water, means for introducing the loaded conters into sa1d water-filled chamber, \reciprocall operated mechanism for lifting the loadedcontamers to the level of the mist to the tube and moving them through the tube, and a steam seal for the cooling chamber to seal it against oxidizing atmosphere.

5. Annealing apparatus com rising In combination an annealing tu e sealed against ingress of an oxidizing atmosphere andcomprising a heating chamber and a substantially dry coolin chamber opening into each other, the coo ing chamber being sloped downwardly from the heating chamber to its discharge end, a receiving chamber located below the input end of the annealing tube and filled with water, reciprocally operatedmechanism for lift n the articles to be annealed to the level 0 the annealing tube and moving them through the tube, and a steam se for the cooling chamber to seal it against oxidizing atmosphere.

6. In an annealin furnace, an annealing tube com rising a, eating chamber and a cooling 0 amber opening into each other and sealed against in ess of air, a crown for said cooling cham r having ,0 positely sloping surfaces, and a plurality o nozzles for discharging water on top of said cooling chamber.

In an annealin furnace, an annealing tube comprising a eating chamber and a cooling chamber co-extensive with each other and sealed a inst in es of air, a crown for said cooling cham er having oppositely sloping surfaces,a plurality of nozzles for discharging water on top of said cooling chamber, and means for causing said water to flow down the sides of said cooling. chamber. 4

8. In an annealin furnace, an annealing tube comprising a eating chamber and a cooling chamber co-extensive with each other and sealed against inss of air, a. crown for said cooling chamer' havin oppositely sloping surfaces, means for supp ying a continuous stream of water to sea crown, and battle plates located adjacent the crownu n opposite side walls of the cooling chamr to cause the water from said supply to spread over said crown and flow over said side walls in a'thin sheet.

9. In an annealin furnace, an annealing tube comprising a 51 eating chamber and a cooling chamber co-extensive with each otherand sealed against ingress of air, mid cooling chamber havin a cro top surface and being divided into a plurality of sections, means for supplying each section with a constantly flowing stream of cooling water, and; means for causin the water 1n each section to flow over t e top and sides of the cooling chamber in a thin shat.

10. annealing ap aratus comprig in combination an annea in tube consisting of a heating chamber and a substantially dry cooling chamber communicating with each other, the cooling chamber be sloped downwardly from the heating chamhei to its discharge end, and reciprocally operat= ing means adjacent the open end oi the heating chamber for feeding the articles to be annealed through the annealing tnloe.

11. An annealing ap aratns comprising in combination an annea in tube consisting of a heating chamber an a substantially dry cooling chamber communicating with each other, the cooling chamber being sloped downwardly from the heating chamber to its discharge end, reciprocally operating incense means adjacent the open end of the heating chamher for feeding the articles to he annealed through the annealing tube, and a 6 steam seal for preventing the admission of oxidizing atmosphere into the cooling chamber,

In witness whereof We hereunto snhscnihe our names this 15th A. D. W231.

nanny nionar. nascent noartocn nanswonm,

day ct? Septemhen, 2o 

